On Thursday, thousands of children across Australia skipped classes to participate in the "School Strike for Palestine," an event that billed itself as a protest in solidarity with the people of the region. This comes after Palestinian terror group Hamas launched an attack on Israel, murdering some 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 200. Israel declared war.
In Melbourne, the streets of downtown were packed, as participants marched and belted out anti-Israel slogans. At one point, older demonstrators led the students in chants of "Allahu Akbar," and other Islamic recitations.
Footage of the event shows keffiyah-clad demonstrators shouting in Arabic into a megaphone while younger attendees echo their chants.
The march through the streets was fronted by two large banners, one which read "School Strike for Palestine," and another that said "Free Gaza" and "Stand with Palestine."
While the former appears to have been created by students, the latter was sponsored by Socialist Alternative, a self-described "revolutionary Marxist organisation" that stands for "the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of a world socialist system."
"In the case of wars waged or diplomatic pressure exerted by military threat by the imperial powers against colonies and non-imperialist nations," their website states, "we oppose the imperial power and defend the right of national self-determination."
"We oppose all immigration controls and support open borders," they continue. "We fight to free all refugees from detention and for the right of asylum seekers to reach Australia. We oppose racism towards migrants. In particular we reject racism towards Muslims, whose right to religious and political freedom is routinely attacked on the spurious grounds of 'fighting terrorism.'"
In an interview with ABC News, one student demonstrator explained why she was there.
"They're not really teaching it in class, so the only way you're gonna find out is if you come to the rallies, educate yourself," she said.
When pressed on whether children are able to comprehend the complex nature of the situation, another student said, "If kids in Gaza are old enough to get bombed, then I'm old enough to understand what's really happening." They did not mention the children who were orphaned and kidnpapped by Hamas, which began the latest round of hostilities.
In Melbourne, the streets of downtown were packed, as participants marched and belted out anti-Israel slogans. At one point, older demonstrators led the students in chants of "Allahu Akbar," and other Islamic recitations.
Footage of the event shows keffiyah-clad demonstrators shouting in Arabic into a megaphone while younger attendees echo their chants.
The march through the streets was fronted by two large banners, one which read "School Strike for Palestine," and another that said "Free Gaza" and "Stand with Palestine."
While the former appears to have been created by students, the latter was sponsored by Socialist Alternative, a self-described "revolutionary Marxist organisation" that stands for "the overthrow of capitalism and the construction of a world socialist system."
"In the case of wars waged or diplomatic pressure exerted by military threat by the imperial powers against colonies and non-imperialist nations," their website states, "we oppose the imperial power and defend the right of national self-determination."
"We oppose all immigration controls and support open borders," they continue. "We fight to free all refugees from detention and for the right of asylum seekers to reach Australia. We oppose racism towards migrants. In particular we reject racism towards Muslims, whose right to religious and political freedom is routinely attacked on the spurious grounds of 'fighting terrorism.'"
In an interview with ABC News, one student demonstrator explained why she was there.
"They're not really teaching it in class, so the only way you're gonna find out is if you come to the rallies, educate yourself," she said.
When pressed on whether children are able to comprehend the complex nature of the situation, another student said, "If kids in Gaza are old enough to get bombed, then I'm old enough to understand what's really happening." They did not mention the children who were orphaned and kidnpapped by Hamas, which began the latest round of hostilities.
